[GerGa]

Hi all,
CT resident here, feeling pretty disgusted in the situation I am in. Malloy made driver license laws really strict: If you are under 18 and get one moving violation you must take a driver education class, if you are under 24 and get 2 tickets in one year you must take a driving class, and if you are 24 & above and get 3 tickets in one year you must take the class. Here's the kicker: Once they've made you take the class, you must go 3 years without a moving violation or get a 30 day license suspension. 2nd & third violations are a 60 day & 90 day suspension. I think the 3 year rule is a bit ridiculous.

I fall under the 18-24 category and got two tickets within a year so now the clock is ticking; I have to go 3 years without conviction of any more moving violation. It's really not THAT bad, I mean its not that hard to go out and stop at stop sign, drive a reasonable speed, but the idea that for 3 years every time I drive I am putting myself at risk of losing my license is gut-wrenching. God forbid a cop decides to give me 2 mph over the speed limit, or maybe during in the 3 years I'll one time not come to a complete stop at a stop sign, or drive in an unfamiliar area and have one of those "Oh **** I just blew that hidden-behind-a-bush stop sign" moments. There's just so many controlled and uncontrolled variables that scare me.

Sorry for complaining but I really just want legal advice. Is there anything I can do to get myself out of this? Like get a lawyer and try to get a chance to reverse my situation? I turn 24 in less than a year.

Legal advice on fighting future tickets is welcome, too, but I hope that I can reverse the 3 year rule that I am currently in.



Thank you

[FutureTown]

The reason why Connecticut Driving Laws are really strict for the young age group is because around mid 2000s, we had a series of accidents taking the lives of teenagers and young adults. So, the state swiftly passed stricter laws. Can't cite statistics, but, I do think it's improved the overall condition. I'm in the young adult age group, and thankfully, no trouble on my side. I've been driving for 4 years now.

Can't help much with legal advice, and, I don't know why you got those 3 tickets. Chances are, it'll be tough to fight it with a lawyer.

[MrGompers]

Enforcement in CT is so dismal I'm surprised you got ticketed that often. In regards to the traffic tickets always plead not guilty and go to court. They will usually cut deals and in rare cases your ticket may be dismissed thru the mail. (you won't even have to show up in court)

Buy lighter shoes in the meantime.

[papafox]

Unless you reside out of state, why anyone would just plead guilty and send in the full amount right away is beyond me. SMH..

In the 2 tickets that I have received the last 15 years, I've ended up paying 18 cents on the dollar, with NO points on my license what so ever when cutting a deal with the DA in traffic court.

[7 Wishes]

Mr. Gompers and papafox, the courts realize that the reason people fight tickets are to avoid insurance increases and issues like the OP has.

So if you plead "non guilty" odds are they will have 100 people there that day that did the same. They want the money so they have you agree to a non-moving violation and avoid a trial (a common one they "reduce" it to is "parking on the highway" since that's what you do when the cop pulls you over LOL!).

I wish I knew this when I was the OPs age, but it has helped a lot since.....

To the OP, if your car has cruise control you can always set it to the speed limit when you are on the highway if need be. It won't work well on city streets nor in some traffic situations but you'd be surprised how often I use it.....

[Cambium]

Originally Posted by MrGompers

Buy lighter shoes in the meantime.

Or maybe an old quiet car? I remember having 10 points and as soon as I stopped driving my loud Mustang I wasn't getting pulled over. I would get pulled over for anything. Used to have that stupid Bow on the mirror. They pulled me over for that. Once for loud muffler. Once for tinted windows. Once for false start they called it (spinning tires).

So sometimes it the type of car that attracts them to "find" something to get you on. Or its just a matter of following the rules of the road.

[GerGa]

Originally Posted by FutureTown

The reason why Connecticut Driving Laws are really strict for the young age group is because around mid 2000s, we had a series of accidents taking the lives of teenagers and young adults. So, the state swiftly passed stricter laws. Can't cite statistics, but, I do think it's improved the overall condition. I'm in the young adult age group, and thankfully, no trouble on my side. I've been driving for 4 years now.

Can't help much with legal advice, and, I don't know why you got those 3 tickets. Chances are, it'll be tough to fight it with a lawyer.

I know about those accidents, knee jerk reactions are just great, aren't they?
Regarding the zero tolerance law after taking the class though, thats very recent and thanks to Malloy & law makers.

Also, my two tickets were under odd circumstances, thats what makes them so frustrating.

[CSD610]

Originally Posted by GerGa

Hi all,
CT resident here, feeling pretty disgusted in the situation I am in. Malloy made driver license laws really strict: If you are under 18 and get one moving violation you must take a driver education class, if you are under 24 and get 2 tickets in one year you must take a driving class, and if you are 24 & above and get 3 tickets in one year you must take the class. Here's the kicker: Once they've made you take the class, you must go 3 years without a moving violation or get a 30 day license suspension. 2nd & third violations are a 60 day & 90 day suspension. I think the 3 year rule is a bit ridiculous.

I fall under the 18-24 category and got two tickets within a year so now the clock is ticking; I have to go 3 years without conviction of any more moving violation. It's really not THAT bad, I mean its not that hard to go out and stop at stop sign, drive a reasonable speed, but the idea that for 3 years every time I drive I am putting myself at risk of losing my license is gut-wrenching. God forbid a cop decides to give me 2 mph over the speed limit, or maybe during in the 3 years I'll one time not come to a complete stop at a stop sign, or drive in an unfamiliar area and have one of those "Oh **** I just blew that hidden-behind-a-bush stop sign" moments. There's just so many controlled and uncontrolled variables that scare me.

Sorry for complaining but I really just want legal advice. Is there anything I can do to get myself out of this? Like get a lawyer and try to get a chance to reverse my situation? I turn 24 in less than a year.

Legal advice on fighting future tickets is welcome, too, but I hope that I can reverse the 3 year rule that I am currently in.



Thank you

The obvious answer is to be more careful and mindful of your actions while driving.
Slow down, follow the rules of the road, stay focused on the task at hand and come to a complete stop.

[EasternCTBias]

My legal advice: don't speed for 3 years. Also, not sure why you're blaming Malloy, this law predates him:

Sec. 14-111g. Operator\'s retraining program. :: Chapter 246 — Motor Vehicles (contains Secs. 14-1 to 14-164a) :: Title 14 — Motor Vehicles. Use of the Highway by Vehicles. Gasoline (contains Chapters 246 to 256) :: 2005 Connecticut Code

"History: P.A. 93-181 effective June 23, 1993; P.A. 95-221 made the retraining program applicable to all licensed motor vehicle operators by deleting the provision limiting such program to operators under eighteen years of age and the provision authorizing the commissioner to suspend the operator's license of an operator who does not successfully complete the program until the operator attains the age of eighteen years, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 98-182 amended Subsec. (a) by creating a suspension violation, altering the requirements for attending a retraining program for persons twenty-four years of age or younger and persons over twenty-four years of age, expanding the retraining program to include the development of alternative attitudes for those contributing to aggressive behavior and an emphasis on safe driving behavior and added a new Subsec. (b) allowing the commissioner to retain a portion of the fees collected for the cost of implementing the retraining program, effective July 1, 1998; May 9 Sp. Sess. P.A. 02-1 amended Subsec. (a) to delete reference to Sec. 14-227a(b), effective July 1, 2002; P.A. 03-278 made technical changes in Subsec. (a), effective July 9, 2003."

[mels]

Originally Posted by CSD610

The obvious answer is to be more careful and mindful of your actions while driving.
Slow down, follow the rules of the road, stay focused on the task at hand and come to a complete stop.

I agree. Also, direct your anger where it belongs; as noted above, this law predates Malloy.

I don't know if your car attracts unwanted attention (as Cam noted above), if you are really that much of a hazard to the road, or if you just have horrible luck since traffic law enforcement in CT is minimal. What exactly are you doing to get pulled over that often?